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12/18/2024

The Wednesday Weekly Will Resume Spring 2025!

Thanks for a fantastic semester, Rangers! This is the final edition for the Fall 2024 semester. We will return for the Spring 2025 Semester!

UW-Parkside Fall 2024 Graduates: “You are prepared” 

The University of Wisconsin-Parkside proudly celebrated the Class of 2024 on Dec. 14, as more than 400 graduates took their well-deserved steps across the stage at the Fall Commencement ceremony in the De Simone Arena in the Sports and Activity Center. 



Dr. Joan M. Prince, a Regent for the Universities of Wisconsin and this year’s commencement speaker, delivered a powerful and inspiring address to the graduates. Dr. Prince, a distinguished global leader and the president and CEO of Executive Strategies Elite, LLC, shared her journey of success, from growing up in Milwaukee to being appointed as a public delegate to the U.N. General Assembly by former President Barack Obama.  

She emphasized the importance of leadership, community engagement, and the courage to embrace new opportunities. Dr. Prince encouraged the graduates to not only pursue their passions but also be agents of change.  

Outstanding Graduates Fall 2024

UW-Parkside grad and wife depart war-torn Sudan to earn degrees

The story of Osman Mukhtar, a recent UW-Parkside MBA graduate, and his wife, Rua Mohamed, is one of unwavering resilience and strong partnership. Both originally from Sudan, they recently reached significant milestones, with Osman earning his MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside this December and Rua completing her medical residency at Advocate Masonic Illinois Medical Center in the summer.

Their story is one of overcoming adversity, driven by love, determination, and the shared dream of building a better life for their family.



In May 2021, the couple made the difficult decision to leave Sudan, a country torn by political instability and war. Rua, a dedicated doctor, received an opportunity to pursue her medical residency in the United States in May 2021, a moment that would change their lives forever.

Ashley Falduto's passion for education

Ashley Falduto from Kenosha, WI is a recent UW-Parkside Fall 2024 graduate who majored in Elementary Education. As a first-generation college student, UW-Parkside was a natural choice as an affordable campus with abundant resources for students. Ashley cites her placement in local area schools through the Elementary Education program, and encouragement from her professors as a deciding factor for pursuing her major. At a particularly low moment, Ashley cites the support of her professor Dr. Courtney Wirtz as a defining moment in her collegiate career.  



“I owe that woman my whole life. I was told at a placement that I was awkward with kids and not cut out for this. I was breaking down and ready to drop out and she completely 180 picked me up. She gave me so much confidence in myself.”

After commencement, Ashley will be a full-time elementary school science teacher for 5th and 6th grade at 21st Century Prep in Racine. 

Inclement Weather Policy Reminder

With the winter season upon us, now is a good time to review the University’s policy for inclement weather. Here’s a refresher on the basics of the Inclement Weather/Emergency Conditions Policy, governed by UW System Administrative Policy 1235.

In cases of inclement weather, the university may choose one of three responses:

• University Remains Open – Classes and operations continue as usual. Students and employees should assess their own ability to travel safely. Employees are expected to notify their supervisor if they cannot report to work or will report late. 
• University Remains Open, with In-Person Classes Canceled – The campus remains open, but all in-person classes on campus are canceled. Online classes (hybrid, asynchronous, and synchronous) can still be offered. Essential services remain operational, and any in-person classes may be conducted remotely if instructors choose, though participation cannot be required. Employees are expected to notify their supervisor if they cannot report to work or will report late. 
• University Closed – All in-person and online classes, as well as extracurricular activities, are canceled. Essential operations like campus police and snow removal will continue. Employees at work when the institution is closed will be given the option of remaining at work or leaving their worksite, operational needs permitting. This applies to all employees except employees whose continued presence is required. 
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Employees absent from work because of inclement weather:

Supervisors may require the employee to make up lost time if required for the operation of the work unit. Employees should coordinate with their supervisors on scheduling or use available leave options to cover the absence.

Employees absent from work because of inclement weather must use available vacation, accrued compensatory time, available holidays, or leave without pay to cover the absence, or they may arrange another work schedule with their supervisor. Supervisors may require the employee to make up lost time during the same workweek of the absence if required for the operation of the work unit. Employees who are not exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime pay provisions (i.e., those who must be paid overtime for hours worked over 40 in a workweek) must account for each hour of scheduled duty during the workweek. FLSA exempt employees may account for their time in a manner consistent with their professional responsibilities, as approved by their supervisor.

Whenever there is a weather-related decision impacting operations, notifications will be shared promptly across multiple platforms:

• Email and Ranger Alert – All faculty, staff, and students will receive updates by email. Those enrolled in Ranger Alert will get additional notifications by text message.
• Website and Social Media – Official announcements will be posted on the UW-Parkside website and shared via Facebook and LinkedIn.
• Local Media – Updates will also be available on local radio and television stations. 

To stay informed, we recommend all employees, students, and community members subscribe to Ranger Alert, if you have not already done so.

WINTER BREAK HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

With the end of the fall semester and winter holidays fast approaching, below is important information regarding days when physical university offices may be closed to the public: 

• Beginning December 26 through December 30, 2024, university offices may be closed to the public. Employees may request to take leave, telework (if the job is conducive and with prior approval from the supervisor), or report to the office as usual. 

Please note that there are some exceptions to the physical closure of offices, especially for areas that support 24-hour, 7 days-a-week, health and safety operations such as the police department, heating plant, housing services, and other essential student-facing departments. All offices that are physically closed to the public must ensure that someone in the department may be reached and services accessed, if needed, via call forwarding or email. 

If you have any questions, please speak with your manager or contact HR at hr@uwp.edu or ext. 2204.

Marketing and Communications Needs

Due to the high volume of requests to University Relations at this time of the year, please utilize the forms below to help us better track and complete requests.

Administrative Transformation Program (ATP) Updates

Stay Informed with Workday Thursday

Workday Thursday is your go-to source for the latest updates and tips on UW System’s Workday implementation. Each Thursday, we cover key topics like Time and Absence, Benefits and Pay, and other upcoming changes, helping you prepare for a smoother transition. Stay ahead with insights, resources, and previews of what’s coming next. It’s delivered to your inbox each Thursday afternoon.

What Is ATP?

The Administrative Transformation Program (ATP) is on a mission to rebuild finance, human resources, and research administration systems at every institution within the University of Wisconsin System. The goal is to reduce the complexity of the current administrative environment and refocus valuable staff time on UW’s mission of education, research, and outreach.

To make this vision a reality, we’re working with people across the UW to standardize processes and implement new, best-in-class technology to support these essential functions.

Budgeting and the Transition from WISER 

Learn about Workday’s budgeting capabilities and the upcoming transition from the Wisconsin Enterprise Reporting (WISER) system. As WISER is phased out in July 2025, Workday will become our new platform for budgeting and financial reporting, allowing UW-Parkside staff to manage and analyze financial data more seamlessly and efficiently. 

Budgeting in Workday: Key Enhancements 

Workday’s budgeting tools offer a fully integrated platform designed to simplify and streamline budgeting and financial planning.

Sustainability Spotlight: Kenosha Bus Route Modifications

Southeast Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) is partnering with the City of Kenosha to explore bus route modifications to improve service. You can learn more about the planning process here. If you would like to provide input regarding Kenosha bus transit options for UW-Parkside students and employees, please consider filling out this survey from SEWRPC.

For UW-Parkside students, having reliable transportation can be the difference between taking a class or having to drop it. If students have to own a car to get to campus, the selling point of having one of the lowest tuition rates in the UW system can be quickly negated by car ownership costs.

Parkside Athletics is excited to host this year's Toy Drive with the National Guard, Kenosha Kingfish and the Shalom Center. All toys will be donated to the Shalom Center following the Men’s Basketball game on Saturday December 21st! Bring a toy to any event in the month of December and receive free admission! Can’t make the game? A donation bin will be placed in the main entrance of the Sports & Activity Center.

The UW-Parkside Library and the UW-Parkside Natural History Collection are hosting an inaugural Annotation / Identification Day Event, on Jan. 9 from 8 am to 4 pm. Get a behind-the-scenes look at our invertebrate collections, meet invertebrate experts, learn about the value of museum collections, and discover how to make museum collections more accessible.

After a year off, the return of Late Night Breakfast was a hit for over 200 students needing a study break on Monday night!



Thanks to the staff who served the breakfast and members of The Range who performed.

Photo submitted by Sherry Craig

Photo submitted by John Bruch

Did You Know? 

   1. Students approved for exam/quiz accommodations should take the exam at the same time or at least the same day as their peers. 

   2. Students must schedule exams/quizzes in Accommodate 48 hours in advance (excluding Saturday and Sunday). 

   3. The testing area is never full- if a student reports they cannot schedule for the same day, they waited too long to schedule in Accommodate. 

   4. Students should obtain the instructor’s permission before scheduling an alternate day or time with SAS. 

   5. Instructors will get an automated email alert when a student schedules their exams/quizzes. This would be an opportune time to verify if it’s scheduled per your expectations. 

   6. SAS sends an email reminder with a cover sheet two days prior to the exam date. You don’t have to wait for the reminder to send the exam. 

   7. If a student misses an exam, it’s up to the instructor to determine when the student will reschedule. The instructor should email sas@uwp.edu and the student with a new day of retake.

As the semester progresses, you may notice that students may be more stressed, experiencing more academic difficulties or having non-academic challenges.

Here is a quick reminder about the resources available to assist you:

• The Red folder website -- This website is designed to help faculty, staff and others to recognize, respond effectively to and refer students as necessary.  
• Food and Shelter Resources – This website provides information about on campus and community resources. 
• ConnectNow - As part of the Care Hub by Mantra, students can get in-the-moment support and problem solving.  
• The Navigate Ad Hoc report - Any faculty or staff member can use this form to report academic concerns such as changes in attendance, declining performance or non-academic concerns (undergraduate students only) To learn “How to file an ad hoc report, check out this KB documents -https://kb.uwp.edu/130519 

Questions?  Contact Steve Wallner, Dean of Students wallner@uwp.edu

The Countdown to the Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement is on and we need you! UW-Parkside will be among the many higher ed institutions that submit a proposal for Carnegie Reclassification. We need your help to gather information about community engagement across our institution. We are proud of the history of community engagement at UW-Parkside. We are seeking information about community engagement initiatives, projects and partnerships with which you've been involved. Please fill out this quick survey. Email any questions to karp@uwp.edu.

Have you or someone you know experienced foster care, homelessness, kinship care, or any other out-of-home care? You may be eligible to receive support through the Fostering Success program.

The mission of UW-Parkside's Fostering Success Program is to provide personalized guidance and comprehensive resources to support students with backgrounds in environments with a lack of family support, to pursue their higher education goals. Through collaborative efforts with campus resources, we promote self-sufficiency and academic excellence.

UW System Regent Policy 4-21 Commitment to Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression

Please take a few minutes to review the policy regarding our commitment to Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression. Please see your immediate supervisor with any questions you may have.

Kenosha Mammoths Rugby Club Exclusive Scholarship Opportunity

Kenosha Mammoths Rugby Club is excited to offer an exclusive scholarship opportunity for students interested in playing rugby for the Kenosha Mammoths Rugby Club. 

 

Mammothscholarship@gmail.com

University Relations: Marketing and design project forms

Use this form to request digital and print design items. If you're looking to promote your event on University social media or via the news media, please use the Share Your News form. Notes: A deadline of less than three weeks is a "rush" job. We may not be able to accommodate the timeline. However, you should still submit the form. Your order will move more quickly through the design process, if you respond to emails with questions and approvals.

Improve Your "AIM"

AIM is the system that faculty and instructional academic staff use to track and record their teaching, research/scholarship/creative work and service activities, and to prepare their Annual Activity Reports. The information you provide in AIM is used to generate your profile on the UW-Parkside website. Your Dean may also use AIM data for reporting and recognition within the college.

From March 24, 2020 to March 24, 2021, there were more than 97,000 unique page visits to AIM profiles!

Save Clam Shell Containers for Parkside Community Garden!

Help our community gardeners feed food insecure students and community members by saving your clam shell containers. Bring saved containers to Anna Fabian (CBE) in Zone 2 of the Student Success and Learning Commons.

Paws to You is an employee appreciation program designed to offer gratitude to a fellow coworker. You can show them thanks and appreciation by sending them a Paw they are able to display for all to see in their email signature, and a running total of all Paws will be displayed on the Paws to You website.

Introducing Bear Boxes!

Dining Specials



Follow the UW-Parkside Dining Services Instagram account @uwp.campus-dining.com